St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster will front the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday ready to receive one of the longest suspensions in recent memory for his bump on North Melbourne’s Jy Simpkin.
Webster left Simpkin concussed, collecting the Roos’ co-captain with his shoulder after Simpkin had disposed of the ball in the opening quarter of Sunday’s practice match.
It has left the AFL world in fierce debate over what the appropriate penalty should be, with some calling for at least a seven-match ban, which would make it the longest since Andrew Gaff’s eight-match ban in 2018 for striking Andrew Brayshaw – follow the Tribunal in the live blog below from 5pm AEDT!
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Others believe the message will have been sent regardless of the length of suspension.
“Every player in the AFL would know crystal clear that’s not allowed and not to be done. It’s a brain fade, not the smartest thing to do. Obviously Jimmy would’ve had great regret after it but it comes down to the penalty now,” Jonathan Brown told Fox Footy’s On The Couch.
“I’m not sure there’s gonna be much difference between five or 10 weeks, the impact it has on the playing group. Find me a player that thinks that situation is actually ok.”
Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said of the ban: “It’s going to be a big whack. I reckon about eight weeks is the median.”
In a statement on Monday, Webster expressed his remorse at his action.
“I deeply regret my actions in yesterday’s game. I’ve reached out to Jy and cannot overstate my remorse,” he said.
“My thoughts are with Jy and his family, and I hope he has a speedy and successful recovery. I fully recognise the importance of protecting players’ heads and in this instance, I failed to meet that much-needed standard.
“I will present to the Tribunal and understand there will be consequences for my actions.”
Webster’s absence would add to an availability shortage for the Saints in defence, with the club confirming on Tuesday key defender Dougal Howard will miss more than a month of football after suffering a left hamstring injury.
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